Pilot caught smuggling gold bars in luggage; gold worth Rs 15 lakh recovered

Mumbai, August 11: An Air India pilot has been detained by authorities for attempting to smuggle gold bars in his checked-in luggage.

Air Intelligence Unit(AIU) at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport detained the senior pilot for smuggling Rs 15.65 lakh worth of gold bars, which was kept inside his checked-in hand baggage.

The pilot, who was the commander of Air India Flight 932, presumed his luggage wouldn’t be checked owing to his seniority, but AIU units have been on high alert following recent episodes of reported smuggling by crew members and staff of airlines. Authorities said the pilot was apprehended after noticing suspicious behavior from his end which led them to stop and check him again. Undeclared gold bars weighing more than half a kilogram valued at were recovered from him.

The accused pilot was attempting surreptitious removal of the said gold bars by concealing the same in his checked in baggage and hand baggage, which was recovered and seized under the provisions of the customs act, 1962.

In his statement recorded under section 108 of the customs act, 1962, the senior pilot has admitted possession, carriage, concealment and recovery of the said gold bars which were being smuggled into India without payment of proper customs duty and in contravention of the provisions of the customs act, 1962.